Columbia, IL (KSDK) - Police are looking for a man suspected in an attempted abduction.

Police Chief Joe Edwards with the Columbia Police Department says they received a call at 8:12 p.m. for a report of an attempted abduction.

When police responded, they determined an 11-year-old boy had been walking in the 100 block of Locust, just off Main Street in Columbia, Illinois, when he saw a maroon van parked on the street.

A man inside the van struck up a conversation with the boy, who said the man began speaking very quietly.

The boy walked around to the driver's side of the van to try to hear what the man was saying, and at that time the man grabbed the boy's arm and tried to pull him into the van.

The boy started fighting, hitting the suspect, and was able to get away.

Once he pulled free, the boy ran to his sister, who was about a block away. They watched the van make a u-turn and drive in the opposite direction.

The boy's sister called 911 to report the incident.

The suspect is described as a white male around 40-years-old, with red hair cut in a short buzz-cut. He has a short goatee and was last seen wearing a green hoodie. The green is the same shade used for the Green Bay Packers. The hoodie has two strings hanging in the front.

The van is described as maroon, and similar to a 2005 Dodge Caravan, though that may not be the exact make and model. The van had a front license plate that is red with white lettering.

Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact the Columbia Police Department at 618-281-5151.